F1’s Championship Finale Could Be Disrupted by Middle East Conflict

By admin — In News — July 14, 2026

   ​Formula 1 has already needed to adjust its schedule once to accommodate the ongoing American-Iranian War, and reports indicate that it could happen again.Two prominent races, the Bahrainian and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, were both canceled after the U.S. unleashed strikes on Iran in February.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, months removed from the start of the conflict, the conflict is still ongoing, leaving the future of the Qatar and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix uncertain.F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has set a deadline for when the race series must make a decision — the middle of September.May 1, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali talks ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn ImagesIf both races are canceled due to problems moving fights through the Strait of Hormuz, the Portuguese Grand Prix is on the table to return to the calendar, making the season a 21-race calendar.“It is the duty of a good organizer or promoter to make sure there are plans in place,” Domenicali said. “With regard to the end of the year, for us that’s in place.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe race in Qatar is set for Nov. 29, while Abu Dhabi is set for the following week, December 6th.While F1 could lose a race in aggregate, there is also a chance that a race will be added, pushing the count up to 23.Domenicali and crew are aiming to restore one of the canceled races to the calendar.“If there is something that we can announce, also related to the possibility of seeing if there is any space for what has not been done so far, we’re going to do it in the right moment and the right conditions,” he told Sky Sports during the British Grand Prix.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“That is really the hope, because if all the conditions are right, we’re going to go ahead with our plan. If there is a chance, why not?”In terms of the war, Bahrain remains a military target in the conflict, but Saudi Arabia has avoided being dragged into the fighting again, meaning it could be the ideal race to put back on the calendar.Either way, Domenicali has said that F1 has until the summer break to decide whether it can add another race to the calendar.“I think that the gap to do the eventual possibility of doing one of the races that we have not done, we need to do it before the summer break,” Domenicali added.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“We are monitoring the situation, because it would be an incredibly positive message for sport, and also politically, that we are moving in this direction, because if this is happening, it is something we can say is behind us.“I really hope that we can have all the conditions — safety first, of course, for all our people — [so] that we can go there.”  

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